Ronald Reagan Statue Unveiled At California Capitol
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Ronald Reagan returned to the state Capitol on Monday, slightly bronzed.
His 8-foot, 800-pound statue was unveiled nearly 50 years after he took his oath of office. Before Monday, Reagan was the only governor-turned-president without a statue at his home state Capitol.
Reagan's friend and former secretary of state George Shultz came to mark the occasion. Nancy Reagan wrote a letter that was read at the unveiling.
"When we moved to Sacramento in 1966, my husband and I knew our lives were about to change. but we had no idea just how much," said Doug Elmets with the Ronald Reagan Centennial Capitol Foundation.
Artist Doug Van Howd knew Reagan and created his likeness.
"To think that my grandkids and their kids are going to be able to come and see it, that's what's really important to me," he said.
Van Howd crafted the sculpture using Reagan's own clothing, down to his cuff links and tie tack, picked by Nancy Reagan.
CBS13 visited Van Howd as he used a clay model to meticulously refine his creation, capturing Reagan's charisma with details like how he held his hands, mouth and eyes.